Sydney is smitten with small, word-of-mouth, hole-in-the-wall bars

Pasan Wijesena at Earl's Juke Joint, a New Orleans-inspired bar in Newtown.Source:News Limited

A BAR without signage or an obvious entrance seems counterintuitive. But the sense of discovery after hunting it down makes that first drink so much more satisfying.

If Melbourne was once the home of the small bar, Sydney has well and truly caught up, as intrepid drinkers spread the intel about hidden drinking dens tucked away everywhere from carparks to laneways.

Then there is Earl’s Juke Joint (407 King St, Newtown), which has a queue of people lining up to get into what looks like a butcher’s shop. In fact, these guys sling some of the best drinks in town, regardless of the fact the former tenant’s facade is still intact.

The original butcher’s shop front of Earl's Juke Joint in Newtown.Source:News Limited

At the forefront of the small bar movement, it’s still one of the best. On weekends look for the queue snaking out the laneway behind Crown St. On weekdays, find the bouncer in front of a nondescript door.

The comfortable chesterfield lounges at The Doss House whiskey bar. Picture: Alana DimouSource:Supplied